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Kevin Durant has heard every insult possible ever since joining the Golden State Warriors in 2016. From “Snake”, to “Traitor”, to “the weakest move ever by superstar” as made famous by Stephen A. Smith, Durant has heard it all.
However, despite all of this backlash and hate, it appears like Durant wouldn't have done it any other way if he had the chance to do it again.
“Of course,” Durant said in a recent conversation with Michael Lee of The Athletic.
“I’m from Washington, D.C. I went to Oklahoma City for eight years. Out of nowhere, I went to the Bay for three years,” Kevin Durant said. “I’ve been roaming my whole life. I never had no stable environment. Ever. Ever. Since I woke up. I sacrificed a lot of shit to be here and to change my game up to be with these guys. And it was worth it.”
Prior to joining Golden State, Durant was “the man” in Oklahoma City. Sure, Russell Westbrook was there, but there was no question at the time that Thunder was Durant's team.
Durant had many relatively successful years in Oklahoma City. He won an MVP there, and secured multiple scoring titles with the franchise. Many viewed Durant as the good guy, the man that did things the right way.
But after blowing a 3-1 lead to the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals in 2016, Durant decided to have it his way, and joined the 73-win team that failed to close in on the championship in that same post-season.
All of a sudden, Durant turned from being a beloved babyface to the most hated heel in the league. But Durant embraced all of that, all to be part of the winning culture that the Warriors possessed. He even plays the role perfectly, doesn't he?
Moreover, Durant sacrificed being “the man” on his own team. He joined a team that had already established Stephen Curry as the face of the franchise. He knew that he wasn't going to win The Bay's heart over their baby-faced assassin.
But, yet, again, he still chose to be a part of all this. Two NBA championships and two Finals MVPs in as many years. Perhaps a third of each on its way? Yes, all of this was worth it.
